I wrote this quite a while ago but never got around to posting it. However, since it’s a new year and I’m working on some new projects, I felt it would be a good thing to remind myself of some important lessons and share with others what I learned. Also, I’m not purporting to be an expert in extant garments. These are just my broad observations, formed over a brief period of study. I took thousands of photos on my trip, not all of which I can share, but I wanted to include a few in this post. All photos are shared with the permission of the Leicestershire Museums Collections Resource Center. Read more...

The Monday after the ball, we enjoyed a lazy morning before taking afternoon tea at the pump room in costume, followed by a stroll around Bath. Because I took so many pictures I’m going to break it up into two separate posts. First up, tea and the Roman Baths!

This past summer, I was lucky enough to spend two weeks visiting England and Scotland with my good friends Katherine and Megan. It was my first time traveling abroad with other history lovers and costumers, and we packed a lot of fun stuff into the trip, including a week-long stay in Bath. I had visited Bath once before with my husband in 2012 but it was only a small part of the trip (less than 24 hours) and ever since, I’ve dreamed of coming back for a longer stay and in costume. It’s just too perfect! Now that I’ve managed to achieve that goal, I’m hooked and can’t wait to return. Jane Austen Festival I’m looking at you! The first of a series of posts about my trip is a picture-heavy recap of the time I went to a ball and came home drenched in champage. Read more...